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·Honorabie Board of Supervisors <br /> Subjecl~:. Countywide Residential Backyard Com. p. osting Program <br /> February 18, 'I 994 <br /> <br /> · Page 2 <br /> <br /> The net cost of the Phase I & II'Program is $340,000 and funding for the Program will come <br /> from your Board's appropriation for AB 939 Implementation in the 1993/94 Solid Waste <br /> Fund Budget. The Solid Waste Fund derives its revenue from the existing tipping fee <br /> surcharge at the Ox Mountai'n Sanitary Landfill. <br /> <br /> Them .will be no impact to the County General Fund.' <br /> <br /> Existing resources, free or low cost promotional tools~ and community volunteers will be <br /> used to maximize program effectiveness while keeping expenditures to a minimum. Revenue <br /> derived from the ~ale of compost bins will accrue to the Solid Waste Fund and help off, et <br /> ' p!'ogram expenses. <br /> <br /> · Discussion <br /> <br /> AB 939, the California Integrated Waste Management Act of 1989, establishes a hierarchy of <br /> preferred waste management practices. At the top of this hierarchy is source reduction (alSo <br /> known a.s waste prevention). On-site, or backyard, comPosting is considered source <br /> reduction, and as such is the preferred waste management practice for diverting discarded <br /> compostable ma'terials from landfills. <br /> <br /> Backyard eomposting is also a cost-effective waste, management practice because collection,..' <br /> transfer, transportation, and disposal costs.are all avoided. Discarded compostable material <br />· remains where it was generated and through a natural biological p?ocess is transformed into a <br />useful.soil amendment that need not leave its place of'generation. <br /> <br />Many communities throughout California and the nation have established bacl~?ard <br />eomposting programs. It has been the experience of communities with successful programs <br />that in order to maximize public participation in backyard composfing, durable, user friendly <br />compo.~t bins need to be made affordable and accessible to residents. As an example, the <br />Alameda County Waste Management Authority was able to get as many people composting <br />in six months with their bin distribution program as they were 'able to get composting in over <br />two'years through their florae composting education program. <br />The full retail price of many popular compost bins is approximately $100.~O plus tax' and, in <br />some ea~es, shipping charges. Local governments, have realized approximately a 50% <br />redtiction in the retail p'rice by purchasing large quantities of the bins directly from [he <br />n anufacturer or'distributor. 'Many jurisdictions have then subsidized this cost to further <br />reduce' the cost of the bins to their residents. Some jurisdictions have even given the bins : .. · <br />aw~y for free. ' <br /> <br /> <br />